Video calling (also called video conferencing) is a promising technology to allow friends and family to interact both aurally and visually, even when far apart. There are professional-grade systems, such as those available from POLYCOM and others, but such professional-grade systems require complex hardware that is both prohibitively expensive and difficult to use.
At the other end of the spectrum lie solutions based on a personal computer (“PC”), such as web cams and video chat software available from SKYPE and others. While relatively inexpensive, however, such PC-based solutions have several shortcomings of their own. As an initial matter, the call quality of a video call using such solutions is far from optimal, and the software and hardware required to implement them can be confusing and error-prone. Perhaps more importantly, such solutions tether the user to a personal computer, which is often located in an office or study, and they generally, therefore, cannot provide an inclusive experience for an entire family.
More recently, several solutions have emerged to address this need. For example, the Biscotti™ device, available from Biscotti Inc., provides an inexpensive tool to allow video calling using a high-definition television and an Internet connection. More generally, a class of devices, which have been described as “video calling devices” but are referred to herein as “video communication devices” (or “VCD”) can be simultaneously connected to a display (such as a television, to name one example) and a source of content (such as a set-top box (“STB”), to name an example) in a pass-through configuration and can have a network connection and/or sensors such as a camera, a microphone, infrared sensors, and/or other suitable sensors. Such devices present a powerful platform for various applications. Examples include, without limitation, video calling, instant messaging, presence detection, status updates, media streaming over the Internet, web content viewing, gaming, and DVR capability.
Such platforms and capabilities provide additional opportunities for enhanced applications, such as those described in further detail below.